Does being an influencer make me rich?

So, they say I’m an influencer. But I want to know what kind of person you think of when you hear that word? Like, really. What does she look like? What does she wear? How does she act?

Let me tell you what I see.

I see a woman in her late 20s. She wears an Hermes bracelet and diamond chokers on her neck. She wears a tennis skirt to go work out every morning, and then she changes into the most fabulous outfits that cost more than some people’s rent. Oh, did I mention that she drives a SUV? Maybe a Range Rover, but an Infiniti QX or Suburban are nice too. Or maybe she has all 3. Oh, she definitely has an office space. A very modern, chic, clean and quiet office space. That’s important. 

She’s got 3, perfect kids. And her husband has the perfect job and is the handiest man on the planet. They go on luxurious vacations, eat the most lavish food and their lives are, well, “PERFECT”.

So what do you see when you see me?

Do you see any of that? I really hope not. Because the reality of my situation is far from “perfect”. I have (less than) perfect children. I love them wildly. But, nevertheless, imperfect. Ditto for the hubs and his job. Hard-ass working man, but most days we’re all just trying to get by. 

I’ve got a Subaru Outback that we got FOR.FREE. when my stepmother died. Yes, I have a car because a woman died. And do I have an office space??? Well, no. Which is really what sparked my need to write this piece. I sit and talk to you all in my freaking living room/dining room, where little people come up and hang onto me ALL THE LIVELONG DAY. I only just started to be able to get anything done since they both started camp. And that’s just in the morning.

I work my DAMN ASS OFF (‘scuse the french) from sunup until loooong after sundown. Helping other businesses grow and succeed, and growing my own community of women that I have come to love like my own group of “friends”. 

can we real talk for a sec?

I never, ever want you to think of me on a pedestal. Or as someone with a lavish life who thinks she’s “better than you”. The reality of the situation is, is that I’m doing the very very best that I can to squeeze by. Let’s talk about money (gasp!) for a second here. Money is tighter than tight. I’ve got people to pay. The babysitter, the cleaning lady, the guy that mows my lawn and others. And sometimes I don’t know if I can make payday. That’s my reality.

I just left my full-time job (more on that soon) so that I can put my all into my passion. The entrepreneurial world is where my heart is, but it’s scary. It’s a wake-up call. And I want to make it abundantly clear that I’m just like everyone else who is struggling to make it, day-to-day and paycheck-to-paycheck. It’s not easy at all, and it certainly doesn’t weight easy on my heart. In fact, lately it’s been expressing itself in the form of a chest-tightening anxiety attack. If any of this rings true to you, hear me loud and clear when I say, “I SEE YOU <3”. 

There might be people in the influencer world who really do live the lavish lives they lead on that they live. But more than likely, there’s SO much an audience would never know from the little peek into the tiny squares on social media. Instagram is such a small piece of someone’s life, even if they say they share everything. And when they only share the good, beautiful and happy, you can bet your bottom dollar that something(s) else is lying beneath the surface. And it most likely ain’t pretty. Everyone’s got their stuff.

“But Alyssa,” you say, “How do we know you aren’t doing the same?” And to that I respond:

Yes, there are definitely times when you’ll see me and my family doing fun activities, wearing cute outfits and attending events. And I want to assure you that it’s not lost on me that I am so blessed to be afforded those opportunities. But I also want to be clear that all of that is WORK. And I hustle hard to be able to make it happen. All so that I can unite and support women, shed the truth about real life motherhood and ignite entrepreneurial content into the world. Is my work fun? Absolutely. That’s why I chose this job. But am I a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills? Heck to the no.

I certainly hope that you all know and feel like I’m here for you. I’m here to be the voice that you might be afraid to share. I’m here to be the normal when you’re unsure. Let me be the one to hold your hand and say that we’re all in this together. No matter what socioeconomic class we may fall into or what our “stuff” is. We’re all just striving to climb a little higher, and I hope we can do it as a community, together. Thank you for always supporting me, and being the girl gang I can call my own. 

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